April 27, 2012

This paragraph is pulled from a review that appeared in the Times on April 6, 2012. I only found out about it last night, when another comic who performed at the same benefit mentioned it, backstage.
I learned long ago that in the UK, a comic must be careful. You never know when the press might be out there. I mean, a Green Party benefit on a Wednesday in Soho? Really? How…loving.
I was doing a short set, but the evening was loopy. Well, I was, and I really enjoyed myself.

Naturally, jokes about recycling duly began to flow within the first five minutes as the compere, Ed Gillespie, warmed up the audience. Political banter was surprisingly thin on the ground for much of the evening, yet things warmed up in the second half, when that ever-abrasive San Francisco exile Scott Capurro launched into one of his stream-of-consciousness rants, reserving much of his bile for homophobic Muslims on his home turf in the East End. No one, it must be said, escapes his venom. Although an entire evening of his relentless monologues is exhausting, the 15 to 20-minute slot played to his strengths.

I’m not crazy about the relentless monologue line, but in the UK, one takes whatever backhanded compliment one can get.
Cheers queers.
x

April 4, 2012

I’m doing a Green Party benefit tonight in Central London, and yes, even the Greens relentlessly self promote. I talked a lot about recycling, forgetting the Greens (think they) have a foreign policy. Adorable.

It’s not easy being Green. While Boris and Ken (and presumably Paddick) spend huge sums of cash on their stands for mayor, Green candidate Jenny Jones is making do without the machinery of an establishment party. The GLA member and former deputy mayor is hosting a comedy fundraiser tonight (April 4) at the Leicester Square Theatre to mitigate the imbalance – however slightly. We caught up with Scott Capurro, the foul-mouthed American-born, London-based comic performing at tonight’s fundraiser to talk politics. What follows is the stuff we could print.Time Out: Why are you performing on behalf of Jenny Jones and the Green Party?Scott Capurro: Because the guy organising the event’s been hounding me for a couple years to do a benefit for him and I just thought, oh, what the fuck. It’s benefit season: last week was the homeless and now it’s the Greens.
TO: Have you been following the mayoral race?
SC: I’ve interviewed Ken a couple of times for this chat show I do called Scott Capurro’s Position. I’m actually doing a week at the Soho Theatre starting April 24. I’ve also interviewed Brian – the Lib Dem. It’s a funny thing with elected officials: it seems as though people want to vote for someone they’d like to have a beer with. Boris has that kind of warmth, and Ken did for a long time, too. But I just don’t think Brian would win the Mr Popularity contest, as attractive and smart as he is…
TO: What about Jenny Jones?
SC: She’ll do fine; London’s pretty Green. I’d like to see her win because women have no power politically in this country.
TO: What’s your biggest issue this election?
SC: I would like the fliers and banners in my neighbourhood (Bethnal Green) saying ‘Get the gays out, make East London a gay-free zone’ to go away. There’s no gay political agenda in this country at all; you have Peter Tatchell and that’s it. And every time gay marriage is discussed, it’s discussed either by the church – and what the fuck are they even talking about it since it’s a civic issue? – or by straight, fat, bald politicians.
TO: Are you eligible to vote?
SC: No, I only vote in the US.
Nick Aveling
For info, see Alistair McGowan presents One Night Only listing.